Glossary

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ACL
	Access Control List is a table that tells a computer operating system which access rights each user has to a particular system object, such as a file directory or individual file.

ACTS
	Advanced Communications Technologies and Services (FP4 Programme)

AL
	Action Line (programme division within FP5)

ANSI
	See American National Standards Institute

API
	See Application Programming Interface

AS
	See Autonomous System

ASIC
	See Applications Specific Integrated Components

ATM
	See Asynchronous Transfer Mode or

ATP
	Advanced Technology Program of the US’s National Institute of Standards and Technology

Access
	The ability to enter a secured area. The process of interacting with a system. Used as either a verb or a noun.

Access Control
	A set of procedures performed by hardware, software and administrators to monitor access, identify users requesting access, record access attempts, and grant or deny access. The process ensures that systems are only accessed by those authorised to do so, and only in a manner for which they have been authorised.

Access Sharing
	Permitting two or more users simultaneous access to file servers or devices.

Access rights
	Licences and user rights to knowledge or pre-existing know-how owned by another person.

Active Attack
	An attack on a system which either injects false information into the system, or corrupts information already present on the system.

Algorithm
	An algorithm is a set of rules, which specifies a method of carrying out a task (e.g. an encryption algorithm).

Allowable costs
	See Eligible Costs

Ambient Intelligence

A concept in IST that presents what should come beyond the current "keyboard and screen" interfaces to enable ALL citizens to access IST services wherever they are, whenever they want, and in the form that is most natural for them. It involves new technologies and applications both for the access to, and for the provision of applications and services. It calls for the development of multi-sensorial interfaces which are supported by computing and networking technologies present everywhere and embedded in everyday objects. It also requires new tools and business models for service development and provision and for content creation and delivery.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
	The organisation of American industry groups that works to develop standards

Applet

A small Java program that can be embedded in an HTML page. Applets differ from full-fledged Java applications in that they are not allowed to access certain resources on the local computer, such as files and serial devices (modems, printers, etc.), and are prohibited from communicating with most other computers across a network. The current rule is that an applet can only make an Internet connection to the computer from which the applet was sent. Unlike a full-blown Java program, a Java applet has a built-in sandbox security model.

Applicable law

Where a contract has connections with several countries (contractors established in different countries, exploitation of the results in several countries, etc.), the law of each of these countries could apply to the contract. In such a case, there is a so-called conflict of laws. The applicable law is the law which has been designated as applicable to the contract by the contractors themselves (specific clause) or by the private international law rules which give answers to the so-called conflicts.

Application Level Firewall
	Firewall systems in which service is provided by processes that maintain complete TCP connection state and sequencing. Application level firewalls often re-address traffic so that outgoing traffic appears to have originated from the firewall, rather than the internal host.

Application Programming Interface (API)
	A set of subroutines or functions that a program, or application, can call to tell the operating system to perform some task.

Arbitration
	Extra-judicial mode of dispute resolution through which disputing parties waive their right to go to court and decide to ask independent third parties to resolve their dispute. The recourse to this system can be decided either before or after the arising of the dispute

Architecture
	The process and outcome of designing and specifying the overall structure or design of a computer system, its network, and the interrelations of the system.

Article 169
	One of the instruments for carrying out research activities under the EC’s Sixth Framework Programme. According to Article 169 of the EC Treaty the European Community itself can integrate into entire national R&D programmes.

Asymmetric Encryption
	Encryption that permits the key used for encryption to be different for the key used for decryption. RSA is the most widely used asymmetric encryption algorithm.

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
	A very high-speed telecom transmission technology, it is a networking and communication protocol designed for the transfer of multimedia data. It is a high-bandwidth, low-delay packet-switching and multiplexing technique (based on a fixed-length 53-byte cell).

Audit
	The independent examination of records to access their veracity and completeness.

Audit Trail
	Audit trails provide a date and time stamped record of the usage of a system. They record what a computer was used for, allowing a security manager to monitor the actions of every user, and can help in establishing an alleged fraud or security violation. An audit trail may be on paper or on disk.

Authentication
	The process of establishing the legitimacy of a node or user before allowing access to requested information. During the process, the user enters a name or account number (identification) and password (authentication).

Authentication Token
	A portable device used for authenticating a user. Authentication tokens operate by challenge/response, time-based code sequences, or other techniques. This may include paper-based lists of one-time passwords.

Authorisation
	The process of determining what types of activities is permitted. Usually, authorisation is in the context of authentication. Once you have authenticated a user, the user may be authorised different type of access or activity.

Automatic Teller Machine (ATM)
	A machine that bank customers use to make transactions without a human teller.

Autonomous System (AS)
	On the Internet, an autonomous system (AS) is the unit of router policy, either a single network or a group of network controlled by a common network administrator (or group of administrators) on behalf of a single administrative entity (such as a university, a business enterprise, or a business division).

Availability
	The property that data, information, and information and communications systems are accessible and usable on a timely basis in the required manner.

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